We're leaving, together and without regret."
by Take Me New
Summary: The sequel to my NC17 fic, Sixteen Hours. Don't read if you're against F/F romance.


****

"We're leaving, together and without regret."

__

By Take Me New

It had taken eight long years, but the time for joy had finally come.

The former mayor of Meribia stood silently on the front deck of her personal boat, The Lone Armada. It was a tiny vessel smaller than any of her father's warships, barely the size of a fishing boat, but it was easily sailed by one or two people, and contained enough living space for the same amount. The former mayor was standing close to the very front edge of the deck, with her body wrapped in a thick green robe that she had worn now for nearly a decade. It was thick and dark green, and managed to sweep all the way down to her feet, somehow managing to cover her nearly six foot frame. Around the top the hood overlapped her hair and covered her face, hiding her features in its shadow and enveloping her expression in its darkness. But behind the covering, the former leader was smiling, like she had never smiled before.

The ship was currently sailing away from Saith, on a route Jessica had never been on before. Instead of the normal path of Saith to Meribia, she sailed in an opposite direction, bravely traveling into foreign territory and carelessly being guided along an new, unknown course. The large sail of her tiny vessel was flapping loudly in the wind, but she ignored both it and the sound of the rushing waves, choosing only to concentrate on the silence in her mind, fractured only by the occasional fleeting thought.

It had taken eight years, but finally she was with the one she loved. No longer did she have to bend to her former husband's will, nor tolerate his boastful claims or abide by his public commands. She was free of his arrogance, and free of his twisted concept of "love." Free from being a possession, and free to be an individual. Jessica slowly began to turn to where the cabin laid beneath the deck, her attention beckoned by the sound of a creak coming from behind. As she turned her hood pulled up from over her head and revealed more of her face, a beautiful smile with richly colored eyes, beaming with joy and a sense of peace. A few long blonde strands hung before her face, but she ignored them as she regarded the cause of the earlier sound.

Another figure was approaching her, much smaller than her own frame, with a similar robe that drug long behind her body, its ample excess being rolled along the deck's planks. Her own head was covered in her hood, as well, and she went up to stand by Jessica without a sound or word.

Jessica absently reached her right hand out, and slipped it along the frail waist of the other woman. She pulled her closely with a gentle tug, and then turned her eyes outward once more, to where the sea lay beneath a slowly setting sun. Together they watched the sun descend on the horizon of Saith, watching the sky change from red into purple and purple into black, for the first time watching that particular sunset not from the edge of a pier. Jessica smiled a little wider, and her fingers pressed into the other woman's side, gently.

"Very fitting." She whispered, quietly. "This is the hundredth sunset we've seen from Saith's waters. Only fitting we're leaving upon a milestone." The smaller woman nodded her consent, her eyes just as fixated on the growing darkness, but her hood still covering the majority of her face.

"Yes." She said in just as low a tone. "We've waited so long for this."

Jessica gave no verbal reply, but strengthened her grip upon the other woman. She tightened her right arm and reached out with her left, absently taking the girl's hands in her own, and squeezing them, tenderly.

The time had been good to both women, as they were both rapidly approaching the age of thirty they possessed a beauty that was rival to their youth. Jessica's hair was now streaked with bits of gray, early grayness having run in her family, but it still played with her blonde to make a subtle medley of varying colors. Her skin was just as clear as ever, pure and white and flawless in any regard. Her lover, who now rested her head upon Jessica's arm, was treated equally kind by the laws of time, if not better. Her rich black hair had retained its luster, and her innocent, childlike face always stayed the same. Always sinless, and always kind. The only thing that had suffered was the look in her eyes, which had grown weak by the years of torment and unfelt desire. A once beautiful shine had been dulled by the actions of her husband, a man so egotistical he very easily rivaled Jessica's own former spouse. Jessica smiled a little, as she thought of it. Despite their attitudes and public personas neither of the two seemed capable of fathering a child, and it was the simple fact that neither Jessica nor Mia were mothers that made their decision to leave so easy. It wouldn't have been possible to leave children in the care of Kyle or Nash, but to leave Meribia and Vane in their slightly capable hands was much easier than they had expected. 

"We're leaving, together and without regret." The words were all that were left on a few letters explaining their disappearance and the "theft" of Jessica's favorite ship, and they had both finally tossed aside the responsibilities of power and were ready to enjoy the benefits of being a normal citizen of Lunar.

Jessica turned her head to look over to where her lover stood, and she smiled as she saw Mia was already looking at her. Their eyes met as it had so often ago, and instantly their bodies inched a little closer together. The sound of the waves began to grow louder in the growing night sky, and the ship seemed to be moving faster from the increase in the wind. Sadly, Jessica lowered her head, and released her grip on Mia.

"Go down below deck." She whispered, and gently urged the magical girl in that direction. "I'll take down the sail and be there shortly." Without complaint Mia followed the gentle instructions, and disappeared within seconds to where Jessica had indicated. The beast girl then went about her promise, pulling down the sail and making the ship prepared for the long night that would follow. They had set sail relatively late in the day, and had only managed to travel miles before darkness was upon them. But still, it was better to be at sea, in case Kyle and Nash decided to come looking for their lost "toys." With a subtle frown, Jessica finished tying down the sail and securing the rest of the ship's sturdy deck. The Lone Armada was more than strong enough to survive a few nights unguided and unprotected, and Jessica knew her ship would forgive her if she abandoned its surface to go below deck to spend some time with the woman she loved. With a few quick motions Jessica finished her duties, and the door to the bottom deck closed, securing the two women in the belly of the vessel.

There was only one lamp lit in the stomach of Jessica's ship, a tiny lantern that hung from the ceiling, burning a dim fire that barely provided enough light to see in. Despite it's lackluster flame Jessica managed to navigate the inner workings of her ship like an expert sailor, and before long she found herself in the bedchambers that were built, a room designed for an intimate encounter between two lovers, or simply a bed large enough to have a good night's sleep without being tossed by the motion of the waves. Silently Jessica closed the door behind her as she stepped into the room, and worked to remove the long green robe she had adorned. Mia looked to be already laying in the large bed, her form covered by the thin silk blanket Jessica had purchased just for this particular trip. After removing her robe Jessica undid the rest of her outfit, and in a few moments walked bare to the bed where Mia lay. Without a word of warning she slipped slowly inside, her arms instinctively reaching out and wrapping around the thin waist that was laid beside her.

Silence was abound in the dim firelight as Mia curled into her lover's arms in reaction, her own bare body brushing up against Jessica's as she curled into her arms with a head on her chest and her legs reaching out to intertwine with the taller woman's. Her hands reached out with grasping fingers, slipping through Jessica's hair and clinging gently onto the gray and blonde strands, lovingly tugging at them as she nestled in closer to the body of her darling. Before long their physical contact turned towards their faces, and a gentle kiss had emerged between the two, tenderly pecking at one another's flesh as they held each other in the faint, subtle light.

Jessica's kiss was much more gentle than Mia had ever felt it, tender and slow and without the dominating passion that she had come to know from the beast girl. Her lips played gently and her tongue made no appearance, a sweet kiss that was so submissive Mia nearly was tricked into thinking she was kissing herself. With a faint smile growing on her lips she played along with Jessica's kissed touch, moving just as seamlessly and brushing across the flesh of the other with just as little friction as Jessica. Mia trembled, as she felt Jessica's breath seep gently into her mouth, past her lips and tickling at her cheeks. Her body shivered and she pulled closer to her lover, who simply broke apart the soft kiss and tightened the grip on the magic woman's waist.

"I love you." Jessica said suddenly, her voice a whisper as she reached her head down, her nose rubbing back and forth across the soft skin of Mia's cheek. Mia felt a blush rise to her skin, and she slowly nodded as she continued to play with Jessica's hair.

"I love you, too." She murmured back, gently, and increased the activities by nipping tenderly with her lips, lightly kissing at Jessica's neck. She kissed twice in different spots before finally speaking once again.

"It's finally happening." She whispered, her eyes falling shut and her heart pounding hard. "We deserve one another at last." Jessica made no verbal reply but her right hand slowly began to trail up, gently across Mia's bare waist and slowly along the length of her back, finally reaching up to cradle her neck, and tilt her head up while her lips went down, kissing slowly and longingly at the soft flesh of her neck. Her fingers massaged gently at the back of Mia's shoulders, and her lips gently rubbed back and forth along her milk white skin, occasionally her moist tongue dashing out and leaving a tiny trail of wetness on the bit of flesh it graced. For moments the two remained in such a position, Mia's mouth agape in a gentle, breathless passion, and Jessica's eyes closed as she reveled in the taste of her lover's trembling flesh.

Mia reached her arms around Jessica's muscled back, and closed her eyes as she let her mouth fall shut. The kisses of Jessica sent waves of tender love throughout her flesh, and she shivered from time to time, as her heart beat hard against her chest and her throat was tight from the tension of her passion. Her fingernails gently scraped across Jessica's flesh, scratching her back softly as the tongue on her neck continued to tease. Mia smiled, and pushed her flesh closer to Jessica's lips.

She couldn't remember ever being so happy, or so comfortable in being touched.

Two hours later the tiny Lone Armada was shaken with a fierce wave, its bough bending inward and nearly tipping the tiny vessel over. The force of the wave woke up the two women with little effort, and they both sprung from the bed in surprise and fear. They had only just gone to sleep in the past half hour, the one and a half before that having been spent mostly by kissing and touching, followed by a long, slow act of love making, their bare bodies rubbed close together in the faint light. The subtlety of passion had been lost, now, and Jessica was quickly scrambling in the shaking vessel to garb herself in her green robe once more. Mia looked onward with still sleepy and shocked eyes as Jessica draped the robe around herself, not bothering to take the time to draw up her other clothing. She ran barefoot to the door, and turned back quickly to face Mia.

"Stay down here!" Her words were quick and hard, and she accented them with a raised forefinger. "Only come up deck if we start taking on water!" Before Mia could argue Jessica dashed away from the room, reaching down to grab an inactive lamp as she did so.

Her bare feet hit hard upon the steps of the ship as her hands worked feverishly to get her lamp lit, the shaking and swaying of the ship making it difficult to light the simple wick. Finally she came to success, and with one arm before her face she charged out into the deck above, prepared to be assaulted by a mass of wind and rain.

Her senses were not disappointed, as her body was nearly blown back into the stairwell the second she set foot upon the deck. Rain instantly hit her face so hard it felt as if it could cut, and the flashes of lightning and the roar of the thunder were omnipresent in the air. Jessica cursed to herself and she rushed over to the front of the deck, her mind reeling with possibilities and failing at solutions. Her lamp lasted nearly ten seconds before it was blown out, and she was left in the dim starlight, made even darker by the rain clouds that had accumulated.

Quickly Jessica looked back, to the sound of a voice shouting out at her. She spun on her haunches and could faintly make out the figure of Mia rushing towards her, draped in her robe and running as best she could across the slippery wood of the deck.

"...Ess...ca!" Her voice was nearly drowned out by the roar of thunder, and it was only in a quick flash of lightning that Jessica could faintly see her lover's form, sopping wet and frightened, her face a mask of worry. She quickly made a motion to her lover's running form, and her own voice shouted out, as loud as she could manage.

"...O...elo...dec...!" Jessica's voiced reached Mia broken and battered, and in her attempt to understand the shouted words Mia slipped upon the wood, the result of a lack of concentration and a particularly strong gust of wind. Suddenly she felt her feet swept out from under her, and as if she was carried by the wind itself she saw the deck moving quickly from beneath her, spinning fast away from her body as she was thrown towards the edge. Her mouth opened wide and she shouted loud from fear, but the thunder absorbed her cry, and the inevitable splash of her body hitting the ocean.

Jessica looked frantically around. She had lost sight of Mia. One moment she had been on the deck and the next she was gone, most likely swept overboard but seemingly just disappearing into thin air. Jessica quickly rushed from side to side of her vessel, leaning far over the edge and shouting, her hands cupping her mouth as she screamed.

"MIA!" Her words were strong enough to be heard over the thunder, but not through the blanket of water. Jessica ran from side to side a countless number of times as the storm continued to rage, her voice shouting out on each side she reached, until the slippery nature of the wood caught her bare feet, as well. She stumbled down towards the ground, and as she fell her head hit hard against the wooden side beam of the ship. She fell to the deck with a hard thud, but couldn't hear herself hit, for she was already unconscious before she landed. 

The storm continued to rage.

"Mia..." Jessica was leaned over the side beam of her ship once more, though this time her voice was a sob, rather than a shout. Her body was still soaked from the rain and her head was still pounding from the blow she had endured, but the dampness of her robe nor the pain in her head could compare to the suffering she felt deep inside. Her fingers pressed down deep into the wooden frame, and she lowered her head to its surface, her mouth opening to give off another painful cry.

"Mia...Mia..." Her mournful wail tapered off into murmured pants, her lungs gasping hard for air as she continued to cry for her loss. She had awoken what was probably hours after the storm, and her mind could only struggle at the thoughts of what had happened. Mia had been pitched overboard, and she was helpless to rescue her. Both the ship and its owner had survived with only minor bruises, but deep down Jessica felt the pain of her lost crewmate much more than the loss of her own life would have been. Her head pressed down harder upon the side beam, and she could feel the sting of a splinter pierce the flesh of her forehead. It added to her headache, but she shrugged it off in light of heartache.

"We had time, now..." She bit down hard on her bottom lip, her sharpened fangs digging down so deep into the flesh they drew a drop of blood. She ignored it, and continued her mournful cries.

"We had..." Jessica took a long gasp of air, her crying having stunted her breathing. "Time...now..." Her face was drenched, but from tears or rain she couldn't be sure. She knew that her eyes burned and her face was flush with a deep red hue, but her mind was too absorbed in the pain to even notice the body was crying. Sadly, Jessica stepped up from her place on the side beam, and looked down into the rippling ocean. The water that had stolen her lover, the water that had taken everything from her. Her fingernails tore down into the wood of the beam, and she edged ever closer to the boundaries of her ship.

"You took Mia..." She whispered with hate, her eyes squinted and her mouth a mask of anger and pain. She worked herself closer to the edge, and eventually sat upon the beam, slipping her legs over the side and leaning over more. Her body teetered on the edge of falling over, but her face continued to wear a guise of anger and hatred, rather than display the pain and fear it truly felt. She looked down deeper into the water, and as she leaned over its depths she closed her eyes. Her mouth opened, and with one last whisper, her fingers released the side beam.

"I love you, Mia..." Her voice died away, and her body fell into the ocean.

Mia was thrown from the comfort of her bed, accompanied by a scream emitting from her mouth. The form laying next to her stirred slowly, and with a few slow murmurs rose, looking up at her with weak, sleepy eyes. Mia turned to look to where the blonde girl was laying beside her, barely covered in the blanket she had worn to bed, looking up with a squinted look and a face that was more confused than anything. Jessica absently reached up to brush at the strands of gray and blonde, her mouth opening and closing a few times before she was finally able to speak.

"Wha...what happened?" She asked in regards to the scream. Mia simply shook her head, and reached down to press her lips into Jessica's slightly sweated forehead. She put her hands upon the taller woman's shoulders, and eased her back down into bed. Jessica needed no further enticing, and soon she was as sound asleep as ever, leaving Mia awake to look around her surroundings.

The room in the Saith Inn was a familiar sight, though a bit disappointing to Mia's sleepy eyes. She had half expected to look around and see the insides of the imaginary ship her mind had created, but with a heavy heart, she shook her head from side to side.

"All a dream..." She whispered, quietly, her hand raising to her chest and making a tiny, frustrated fist. Jessica was okay, but they were still in the Saith Inn. The same place they had been going for eight years, to spend just sixteen hours together. It meant they weren't running away. They were going to go back to Kyle and Nash, and they were going to be miserable until the next month on the very same day. Mia let her head fall back into her pillow, and she sadly gazed up at the ceiling above. Absently she reached out, and her hand fell into Jessica's open palms. Even in her sleep the beast girl's fingers stretched out, tightening around Mia's hand and squeezing it, lovingly. Mia smiled, and regarded her aging lover for a moment. With her free hand she reached out, pulling back some of the gray and blonde and tucking it tenderly behind Jessica's ear. It was better none of her dream being real than all of it, she pondered with a faint smile.

Soundlessly she crept down into the covers, and nestled up against Jessica's form. The beast girl reacted in her sleep by drawing her arms around the smaller woman, and her mouth resting absently upon Mia's neck. Her breathe coursed over the magic woman's skin, and a smile once again played upon her lips, remembering how Jessica kissed her neck in the better half of her dream. She let her body press close against her lover's, and her eyes slowly fall closed. The thought that rested on her mind was clear; Jessica made her feel like she had a place in the world. But what that place was...wasn't the place she was at. A thought entered her mind, and upon the light of the morning she discussed the plan with Jessica.

Before noon, a local farmer found his horse driven cart stolen, replaced by a large sack of gold that easily covered the cost of three of what was taken. At the same time both Kyle and Nash held in their hands a shortly written letter, delivered by the wings of expert mail delivering birds. Unlike the farmer, Kyle and Nash received no compensation for their loss, save for the few words that were scrawled upon a piece of paper, written so quickly it was obvious the thought of the husbands' feelings were at the bottom of a priority list.

"We're leaving, together and without regret."

****

The End

__

Requests? Comments? Suggestions? E-mail take_me_new@hotmail.com


End file.
